From The Archives: A State Amateur Before Turning Pro

In June of 2013 Cody Paladino picked up a pretty important amatuer trophy before trying to turn pro. How The Courant's Tom Yantz told that story:

HAMDEN — Cody Paladino is all too familiar with having the lead in the final round of the Connecticut Amateur Championship.

Seven years ago, 17-year-old Paladino had a 4-stroke lead going into the afternoon round of the 2006 Connecticut Amateur Final, but lost that lead and eventually the round in 39 holes to Tommy McDonagh.

Paladino made sure history would not repeat itself Saturday, as he claimed the title at the 111th Connecticut Amateur Championship with a 3 & 1 victory over Peter Ballo at New Haven Country Club.

"That's a huge reason of why I stayed amateur this summer, was to play not just to play this event, but other events too, other amateurs that I felt like were my last chance to play," Paladino said. "Obviously, it's retribution not just for '06 when I lost in the finals, it's retribution for a lot of things."

Paladino, the recent Baylor graduate, led early before Ballo won the fifth and sixth holes to take the one-hole lead. Ballo's time at the top was, short however, as Paladino regained the lead on the eighth hole , and went on to win holes 12 and 14 to extend his lead to three.

Paladino would not trail for the rest of the match.

Ballo (Woodway Country Club) cut into Paladino's lead on the front nine of the afternoon round by winning holes 2, 7 and 8, tying it up with 10 holes remaining.

"I was feeling really good, to get three back that quick in the start of the round, it definitely gives you a boost," Ballo said.

It seemed that momentum had shifted to Ballo's favor for the moment, but the ninth hole proved to be the turning point. Ballo yelled and was visibly upset as he watched his tee shot sail to the back of the green, 50 feet from the pin, while Paladino's shot with a 7-iron landed just three feet from the hole. It was the first hole Paladino won in the afternoon round, and appeared to get him back on track.

"That was an enormous shot to hit it that close," Paladino said. "And then have [hole] ten even with pars, when I three-putted. But then I won eleven, and I could feel the momentum. I felt that I was back in control.

" … All of a sudden I hit it stiff on nine and take the birdie, then take this walk from the ninth green to the tenth tee and said 'Alright, this is my chance. I'm stepping up to the last nine holes with the lead, I'm not going to let it go.'"

Ballo's downfall came at the crucial 16th hole, where his tee shot landed in the brush, and his approach shot struck the branches of a tree, forcing him to take another two shots just to make the green. Meanwhile, Paladino's approach shot again landed under 15 feet from the hole, where he two-putted for par to win the hole.

The seventeenth hole proved to be no better for Ballo, as he was long on his tee shot again with, and his chip shot for par sailed over the pin, giving the match to Paladino.